Al Ward: Devils Lake can provide heavenly fishing experience

Topekans find North Dakota trip reasonable, fruitful

Devils Lake is one of the jewels of walleye and northern pike fishing in North Dakota. It’s located about 80 miles west of Grand Forks on US-2 highway. The Spirit Lake Indian Reservation runs along the southern shore.

Mid-June and July is a great time to be on Devils Lake. Walleye will be in 5 to 15 feet of water.

The lake and its coves consist of 220,000 acres that stretch about 79 miles long. There is a lot of shore line of weeds and timber where the pike like to hide.

Three Topekans just returned from a great fishing trip to Devils Lake.

Al Betsworth and his two sons, Larre and Richard, along with Rich Derbin of Kansas City enjoyed three and a half days of fishing. The five-day license was only $37 and they had great fishing.

Not knowing the lake, they hired Mark Bry of Bry’s Guide Service to guide them.

Mark’s boat was a 22-foot Ranger with a 300-horsepower motor and a 25-horsepower trolling motor. Larre took his bass boat so they had two boats for fishing.

One day the water was rolling with 5-foot waves, so Larre let the larger boat buck the waves and Larre stayed in its wake for a smoother ride to a cove they were headed to fish.

The bait of choice was a jig head with a tube. They pulled into a flooded timber area and tossed the combination around the trees. It’s a good thing they were using 20-pound test lines as the pike hit hard and put up a good fight. One fish tail walked on the water.

All five caught their limit of pike every day. The limit in North Dakota is five per day with 10 in possession — plus some great eating.

Al said they have fished in Canada many times and you can only bring three fillets of walleye and pike home, plus you need a passport and have to go through customs. North Dakota is closer and has great fishing with less hassle.

Both boats were trolling and on the fish finder, and it showed a large school of walleye. Mark’s boat has a talon — a shallow water anchor. It’s a power spike that will go down 12 feet into the lake bottom and hold the boat steady.

With the boat stationary, Larre, Rich and Mark started jigging straight down and landed 15 quality walleye. Richard and Al also caught their limit.

Richard said there were many motels and restaurants to choose from and most of the guide services will furnish your boat, fishing rod, tackle, bait, life jackets and will clean and package your fish for you.

The trip sounds like a place I need to put on my bucket list.

The Betsworths said they are going ice fishing next winter with the Bry’s Guide Service. Sounds like a good idea with the 100-degree weather we are enduring at the moment.

Hope you are having a good outdoor experience this summer and maybe I’ll see you in the great outdoors.